He Willingly Allowed Himself

February 8, 2022 · John

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Series · John · Week 30 of 43

Scripture referenced 9 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

John 18:1-27 main passage read and expounded for the evening

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3 Judas then, having taken a detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were happening to him, went out, and said to them, “Who are you looking for?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went backward, and fell to the ground.
7 Again therefore he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,”
9 that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me, I have lost none.”
10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not surely drink it?”
12 So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him,
13 and led him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish for the people.
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered in with Jesus into the court of the high priest;
16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then the maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am not.”
18 Now the servants and the officers were standing there, having made a fire of coals, for it was cold. They were warming themselves. Peter was with them, standing and warming himself.
19 The high priest therefore asked Jesus about his disciples, and about his teaching.
20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret.
21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. Behold, these know the things which I said.”
22 When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?”
24 Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to him, “You aren’t also one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative of him whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
27 Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.

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John 14

referenced as where Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life and promises the Holy Spirit

1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.

2 In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.

3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.

4 Where I go, you know, and you know the way.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’

10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but the Father who lives in me does his works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

12 Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.

13 Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.

15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

16 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever,—

17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him, neither knows him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.

18 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

19 Yet a little while, and the world will see me no more; but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.

20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

21 One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.

24 He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

25 I have said these things to you, while still living with you.

26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

28 You heard how I told you, ‘I go away, and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the Father is greater than I.

29 Now I have told you before it happens so that, when it happens, you may believe.

30 I will no more speak much with you, for the prince of the world comes, and he has nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.

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John 17

Jesus prays for disciples and future believers including for eternal life unity joy protection and holiness

1 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;

2 even as you gave him authority over all flesh, so he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

4 I glorified you on the earth. I have accomplished the work which you have given me to do.

5 Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.

6 I revealed your name to the people whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me. They have kept your word.

7 Now they have known that all things whatever you have given me are from you,

8 for the words which you have given me I have given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

9 I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

10 All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

11 I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are.

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them is lost, except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

13 But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.

14 I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.

18 As you sent me into the world, even so I have sent them into the world.

19 For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word,

21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.

22 The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one;

23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.

24 Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am, that they may see my glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I knew you; and these knew that you sent me.

26 I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

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John 21

mentioned as the chapter where Peter's restoration takes place

1 After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way.

2 Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.

3 Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.

4 But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach, yet the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus.

5 Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.”

6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish.

7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around him (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea.

8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish.

9 So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of great fish, one hundred fifty-three; and even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.

12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” None of the disciples dared inquire of him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead.

15 So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

18 Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself, and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you don’t want to go.”

19 Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

20 Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray You?”

21 Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”

22 Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”

23 This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.

25 There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.

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John 18:36

my kingdom is not an earthly one cited when discussing Peter's use of the sword

36 Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.”

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Exodus 3:14

background to the I am statement when God tells Moses I am has sent me to you

14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said, “You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

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John 3:16

God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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1 Peter 3:15

people will ask you for a defense of the hope that is within you

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:

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John 17:3

closing prayer this is the way to have eternal life to know you the only true God and Jesus Christ

3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

This Monday night study at First Baptist Jackson worked through John 18:1-27, covering the betrayal and arrest of Jesus in the garden and Peter's three denials in the high priest's courtyard. The pastor led the group through the passage verse by verse, pausing to let the congregation share observations and encouragement along the way. The evening's central question was why Jesus, who could have called down armies of angels, willingly allowed all of it to happen.

What was said

the pastor opened by stepping back to chapters 13 through 17, where Jesus had been privately preparing his disciples for exactly what was about to unfold. The Holy Spirit, the promise of peace, the washing of feet, the call to remain in him and bear fruit, all of it was Jesus getting them ready to carry on without him physically present. The point the pastor kept returning to was that those promises were not just for those disciples in that room. His word to them is his word to us.

He compared the disciples' unpreparedness to his own experience the day his daughter Rachel was born. He had nine months of classes and warnings, and still, when the moment came, he had no idea what he was doing. The disciples had heard everything Jesus taught, and when the moment came, Peter reached for his sword and lopped off a man's ear. Knowing something and being able to live it out in the moment are two very different things, and that is precisely why Jesus promised the Holy Spirit.

The I am statement in verses 4 through 6 drew particular attention. The pastor traced it back to Exodus, where God tells Moses that "I am" has sent him, and connected it to the running thread of I am statements throughout John's gospel. When Jesus said "I am he" in the garden, the crowd fell to the ground. That kind of power was present the whole time, and Jesus chose not to use it against the people who were arresting him.

That choice is what stood out most to the pastor in this chapter. At any point, Jesus could have walked away or called down legions of angels. He did neither. He told Peter to put his sword away, healed the ear Peter had cut off, and went willingly. The reason, the pastor said, is that Jesus loved even the people arresting him, and his kingdom is not an earthly one won by fighting.

The group then talked through Peter's denials. Raymond pointed out how easy the questioners made it for Peter, phrasing things as "you're not one of them, are you?" before someone who actually saw him in the garden pressed harder and Peter denied Jesus with a curse. Blake noted the contrast between Jesus, whose truth simply speaks for itself and knocked a crowd to the ground, and Peter, who is zealous but buckles under ordinary social pressure. The congregation found Peter's failure realistic rather than shocking, which is part of why his restoration in chapter 21 matters so much.

The closing conversation circled around Jesus' statement that his kingdom is not of this world. Several people noted that every attempt in Christian history to turn God's kingdom into an earthly political or military project has gone badly wrong. The Crusades came up as the clearest example. The point the group kept landing on was that the Holy Spirit changes lives and transforms people, and that is work no sword or argument can do. The call is to live in a way that reflects Christ, so that people begin to ask about the hope they see.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Carl talked about how Jesus spent all of chapter 13 through 17 preparing his disciples, and yet when the moment came they still scattered and denied him. Can you think of a time when you felt prepared for something spiritually but still fell apart when it actually happened?
The preacher pointed out that when Jesus said 'I am,' the soldiers fell to the ground, and that at any point he could have called down angels or simply walked away. What does it mean to you that he chose not to?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Sure. Florine. Is Florine here? Mister Florine, can I ask you a question, Florine? Would you be willing to play the mandolin?

On the fly. You might need to tune just a little bit. It might need to be tweaked. Carry on. Carry on.

We got another minute here. Sounds good. We're capo two tonight if you want to. You could play it.

In G, right? G, capo two. Oh,

and your iPad is right on top of that speaker from today. Yes. Alright. We are live. Hello everybody watching online and hey everybody in person.

Can we give a quick thank you to Felix in Guadalupe tonight for just what a and what a great dinner to have too. Posole and tamales and man, thank you for introducing me to new food. See, I grew up in the Midwest and we would put carrots and Jell O, and we call that a salad. Here, you better eat something healthy. That's a salad.

That's not that's not a salad. Truth be told, though, I had a a Jell O craving this last week, and I made Jell O, and I put Cool Whip on it. So but we've been going through the book of, John on Monday nights, and it's been more conversation style. Read the text. We I share some thoughts, and then I've opened it up to all of us to share some thoughts.

If, verse got ahold of you or, there's something you wanted to share a little word of encouragement. But before we get into that gospel conversation, I'd love to worship together in song. So if you'd stand with me and let's sing, I know whom I've believed. Amen. God, I agree with this song.

We don't know how all of this works. How some faith we have some have more faith than others. How your grace just grabs ahold of us, how your spirit moves and convicts and convinces when you're gonna come back. God, there's there's a lot of question marks, but what I've been so convinced of in John is that simple faith, simple belief is what you're asking for, that we would come to you, meet you halfway. You're always extending grace in our direction, but God, would we reach in your direction and believe in you?

Asking. That's our work on earth is to believe in the one that you have sent. God help us. I'd lie I I love the prayer of the one man in scripture who said, Lord, I believe, but help me in my unbelief. Would you help us, God, in our unbelief, but also to bolster the the faith that we have already.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

I'll probe the ignition through love and zoo.

You see it through to the end. You see it through to the end.

The Lord I got. The Lord I got is ever faithful, never changing through the All your plans are for your glow opening. Yes. We can know you are good. Yes.

We can our God. And we won't move. We won't move without you. We won't move without you. You're the light alone and all that we need.

God, as we sang that song, there was a verse that came to mind that says, if we live by the spirit, let's keep in step with the spirit. God, that we wouldn't get ahead of you as we often we can do, we tend to do. God, I'm gonna make my plans and I I hope you're on board. But rather, God, that we say, God, let us keep in step with you. God, let us live according to to to to your word, to to your will.

That can mean a lot of different things for us. We've got free will, but God, may our will and and your will align. Amen. In Jesus name. Amen.

Healer of unbroken and weak. You are. You are. You ashamed of the gospel, not ashamed of Jesus Christ. I was standing for the sake of this I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

Not

A simple but profound statement from Philippians is, To live is Christ. To live is Christ. Why? Because Jesus is life. In him there is light.

In him is life. Have a seat. Speaking of John, we have been going through the book of John, just chapter by chapter, verse by verse, and just soaking in it, meditating on it. Saying, what does the word say? What does it mean?

How does it apply? And tonight, we're up to John chapter 18. Get situated here. Tonight, I just wanna cover verses 18 through 27 in chapter 18. The themes are Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and denied.

So from chapter 13 until right now, Jesus had been privately teaching his disciples. He's preparing them for this moment right here and everything after when Jesus would be betrayed and arrested and denied and then put on trial and crucified and dead and buried and risen and ascended to heaven. He's preparing them for this. How would they go on? That's kind of the question that this that we've been working toward.

How would they go on when Jesus goes to heaven? How would they testify about Jesus and not abandon their faith? Because in the chapter earlier before he says, I have told you these things so that you won't abandon your faith. So here are a few things that Jesus taught. This is just kind of a review here and what he promised them.

Let's look at a few. The Holy Spirit, the advocate, the helper, never leave you or forsake you. I'll teach you, remind you, lead you into truth, give you peace of heart and peace of mind. This is all a gift of the Holy Spirit. This is what the Holy Spirit does.

He gives them an example to follow. So Jesus washes his disciples feet. By the way, can you think of some modern day examples of how we might wash one another's feet. You don't have to say it. I just want you to think about it.

What are some ways we can serve one another practically speaking? Keep that with you. He says, do as I've done for you, love one another as I've loved you. Here's another. Remain in me and I'll remain in you.

I've chosen you and appointed you to bear fruit. Ask anything in my name, it'll be given. Here's another. Don't be troubled or afraid. Trust in God, trust also in me.

Can you tell here though that Jesus has been preparing his disciples? Because it's to go down tonight is when it starts. The passion of the Christ begins tonight when he's arrested, he's betrayed, he's denied. He says, take heart. I've overcome the world.

And then last year or sorry, last week in chapter 17, we got to hear his heart for his disciples and his prayer for future believers. That's you and I, by the way. And he's and and he prays to he says, give us eternal life, to make us one, to give us joy, to protect us from the enemy's lies, to make us holy by his truth, to be so unified that the world would know that the father sent Jesus. That's what he prayed last week. But the point that I'm trying to make here is that Jesus has been preparing them.

He's been preparing these disciples to testify about him, to not abandon their faith. And and here's here's the real life application. His word to them is his word to us. K? So when we read John, it's not, oh, that's great for them.

No. His word to them is his word to us. His promises to them are his promises to us. His Holy Spirit then is the Holy Spirit now. Really, this is real life application here to help us to testify about Jesus, to help us not abandon our faith, to help us to take heart because he's overcome the world.

This has much to do with us as well because we're carrying on the message. We're carrying on the good news of God's love and forgiveness. So what happens after Jesus teaches all that? That's where we're at tonight. This is Jesus completing his mission on earth.

Tonight is Jesus is betrayed, arrested, and denied. Chapter 18 verses one through 27. It'll all be on the screen and Blake will track with here and here's what it says. After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and he entered the grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.

The leading priests and pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and temple guards to accompany. Now with blazing torches, lanterns and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. They're prepared for battle. Verse four, Jesus fully realized all this was gonna happen to him and so he stepped forward to meet them. Who are you looking for?

He asked. Jesus, the Nazarene, they replied. I am he, Jesus said. Judas who betrayed him was standing with them. As Jesus said, I am he, they all drew back and they fell to the ground.

Once more he asked them, who are you looking for? And again, replied, Jesus the Nazarene. I told you, I am he, Jesus said. And since I'm the one you want, let these others go. He did this to fulfill his own statement, I did not lose a single one of those you've given me.

And then Simon Peter drew his sword and he slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's slave. I mean, this is happening for real. This is going down. Verse 11, but Jesus said to Peter, put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the father has given me?

Other gospel accounts will then say that Jesus healed the man. We didn't see that. We don't see that in John, but Jesus does restore this man's ear. Verse 12. The soldiers, their commanding officer, and the temple guards arrested Jesus and they tied him up.

First, they took him to Annas since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at the time. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, it's better that one man should die for the people. Simon Peter followed Jesus as did another of the disciples. The other disciple was acquainted with the high priest. This is probably John, the author of this book.

So he was allowed to enter the high priest's courtyard with Jesus, 16. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, here we go, you're not one of the man's that man's disciples, are you? No.

He said, I'm not. Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it warming themselves. And Peter stood with them warming himself. Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them.

Jesus replied, catch this, everyone knows what I teach. I've preached regularly in the synagogues, in the temple, where people gather. I've not spoken in secret. Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me.

They know what I said. Then one of the temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. Is that the way to answer the high priest, he demanded. Jesus replied, if I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I'm speaking the truth, why are you beating me?

Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest. Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, you're not one of his disciples, are you? He denied it saying, no, I'm not. But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man who whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, didn't I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus? Again, Peter denied and immediately a rooster crowed.

So we'll stop there for tonight. I would love to pray and then just talk it over some more. Jesus, I thank you for your faithfulness. We, as a church, thank you for your faithfulness to us. I think of a verse that says, he is faithful even when we are not.

Thank you God for your faithfulness. Thank you for your determination to finish your work on earth. Thank you, God, for taking the cup of suffering for us in our place. And I think of the way that you prepared those disciples for what was to come. And even though they didn't get it quite at first and they were scattered, they came back.

And God, I pray for that for our church as well. God, you have made this a place where people come back to. Some move away and will even move back. But God, always been an open door and I thank you and I praise you for that. And God, may this continue to be a place like that because that's what you're doing.

You're calling us to. You're drawing us to us. Draw near to me and I'll draw near to you. God, would you bless the reading of your word? May it fall in fertile soil on a tender heart tonight in Jesus name, amen.

Chapter 18, here we go. The hour had come. Jesus is about to complete his mission on earth. He'd been preparing his disciples. They knew this was gonna happen, but they still weren't it's like they still weren't prepared.

And I think that I can understand this degree. Here's how I understand this. Alright? Here here's Carl's way of understanding this. Before we had my daughter Rachel, I knew that she was on the way, right?

We had nine months to prepare. I was told, you're going to be a father. Okay, I'm going to be a father. And we did the classes and everything like that. Such a joke because nothing like can really prepare you for having a kid.

At the time, I remember thinking like, especially when we put her in the car seat for the first time, was like, what am I even doing right now? How is this even I don't know what do I do? That's what I thought. What do I do right now? And it's like I everything that I'd heard, I didn't know how to put in into practice yet.

You know what I mean? And I I wonder if in a way it was a bit like that for the disciples that Jesus is teaching them. He's showing them by example. And yet when the moment came, it was like, what do we do? Lose your mind.

Chop off a dude's ear. No, I don't know Jesus. And here's the thing, I can't guarantee that I would have acted any different. Really. I'm not any holier than those followers.

I probably would have slashed some dudes off here. Well, don't think of that. I'm not really a sword guy. Anyway, here's the point I'm trying to make. Sometimes what we hear isn't always what we practice.

Sometimes what we hear is not always what we practice, but this is why we have Jesus' teachings. This is why the disciples would be given the Holy Spirit after Jesus ascended. They have heard Jesus, they've walked with Jesus, they've talked with Jesus, they've heard his teaching, they have the Holy Spirit to teach them, remind them, lead them, guide them, to teach us, to remind us, to lead us, to guide us, to make that connection between what we hear and then what we do. Nick was kind enough to share some pictures with me from his visit to Jerusalem. And Ray, were you on this trip too?

I so wish I could have been there. So I don't know what I'm talking about, but you can see the Kidron Valley here, right Ray? From the Grove Of Olives where this all went down. And so these are I show these pictures because these are real places where Jesus spent time with his disciples, where he was betrayed and arrested, where the leading priests and the pharisees came with Judas with the blazing torches and the lanterns and the weapons because they were concerned about they were concerned about this kingdom. That's kind of the bottom line.

They were concerned about what happens here. In verse 36, Jesus says this, my my kingdom is not an earthly one. And if it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over. That's what Peter thought he needed to do. I better go to war.

Here we go. It's going down. But Jesus says, kingdom is not of this world. Peter, put your sword back. Four to six, when Jesus stepped forward to meet them asking, who are looking for?

That answer right there in verse five is just awesome. That is such an awesome verse. I am he and they fell to the ground. So that I am statement that goes back to Exodus. Moses says, well, who should I tell?

Who should I tell them sent me? And God says, I am has sent me to you. Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. This is the I am statement that Jesus is talking about.

This is the I am statement that John is talking about that we've been studying through John. I am the bread of life. I'm the light of the world. I'm the gate for the sheep. I'm the good shepherd.

I'm the resurrection and the life. I'm the way and the truth and the life. I'm the true vine. At the sound of I am right there, just think about it. There's a lot of power right there.

Those people fell to the ground, but Jesus didn't destroy them. In one of the other gospels, he says, don't you think at any time I can call down legions of angels to come and protect us? But he didn't go to war with them. Why? Because he loved them.

He loved those people that were arresting him. He didn't call down angels to go to battle for them. He told Peter, put away your sword. We're not fighting for this kingdom. My kingdom is not of this world.

He loved these people. He was inviting them to live for another kingdom. Not awesome. Not like you know, he was gonna lay down his life for them because God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life. This is for real.

And what blows my mind about this is that any time Jesus could have just walked away. I mean, come on. You're gonna tie up the God of the world in human flesh? Really? The one who can calm seas and heal sickness and illness and disease and save people?

Deliver them from sin? Willingly allowed himself. I think that's what's standing out the most to me in this chapter is Jesus willingly allowed himself to be betrayed, to be arrested, to be handed over into the hands of sinners, to lay down his life in our place for our sin. He willingly did this so that he would pick up his life again and then that through belief in him, we'd have eternal life. It's all about his work.

It just really is. So I'm just amazed by it. Verse 11, Jesus said to Peter, put away your sword. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the father has given me? He was determined to carry out this work and it meant death.

He willingly took that cup of suffering for us. So he's betrayed, he's arrested. Peter and John follow to the high priest's courtyard. And this is where Peter denies that he knew Jesus for the first time. I love by the way, that there's redemption for Peter.

We're going to see that in chapter 21. I won't hit on a lot on it tonight. Verse 20 is also notable. One question, Jesus makes it clear. Listen, this isn't a secret.

I've been teaching publicly. I've been sharing God's message of love and forgiveness from the very beginning of my ministry. Those who want to hear it, they hear it. Those who don't want to hear it, they didn't want to hear it. They've made up their minds already.

But this was all according to God's plan. This was from the beginning to fulfill the scriptures, to fulfill God's mission for Jesus on earth. This is how he did it. And then we end with Peter's second and third denial in verses 25 to 27, where they say, you're not one of his disciples, are you? And he denied saying, no, I'm not.

But then I see over there in the olive grove with Jesus and Peter denied it. And then immediately, the rooster crowed. Again, that wasn't it for Peter. That wasn't it for Peter. We get to hear more about his redemption in chapter 21.

But what stood out to me this week is that although Jesus' disciples knew what was coming, it didn't necessarily prepare them for it. And they scattered for a time, but they came back. And I think sometimes that's a picture of the church as well. Sometimes we can scatter and then God brings us back. Then also, that didn't stop Jesus from fulfilling his mission.

His disciples scattered, denied, betrayed. But he kept on. He kept on. He was headed to the cross no matter what. He was determined to faithfully carry out the Father's will, even when that meant suffering and being betrayed and abandoned.

But all to say, this right here makes me even more thankful. Even more thankful for what Jesus did. Because at any time he could have said, you know what, this is bogus, forget it. You puny people, you're done. But he didn't.

In love, he carried out his mission for you and for I. That's pretty awesome. I'm thankful for the passionate commitment of Jesus to carry out the father's will. Knowing that at any time, Jesus, the great I am, could have called thousands of angels to fight an earthly battle, but he didn't because his kingdom is not an earthly one. He established it on earth.

He went to that cross so we could join him in his kingdom. And that's all about believing. That's what John is about. I want to just say that again and again and again as we study the book of John that it is the Gospel of belief. What is our work?

It's to believe, first and foremost. What about the other stuff? The other stuff comes later. Our work is to believe in the one that he has sent. So those are just a few thoughts from John eighteen:one-twenty seven.

I would love to turn it over to you. If there is a verse or a word of encouragement that you'd like to share, I'd love to hear it if you're compelled to. If you're like, I'd never talk on a Monday night. That's alright too. That's alright too.

But if there were any thoughts, any verses, any word of encouragement from John 18 that you'd be willing to share, please do. And we've got a microphone too.

I like the two different examples in this story. There's the example that Jesus sets. He just says, I am. Sort of like the truth just speaks for itself. Know?

He says, I am and it knocks them down on the ground. And the opposite of that is is when you find someone defending themselves a lot, it feels like just that, is that they're defending themselves. When the truth speaks for itself and later on or earlier on, John 14, Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And then just right after that, he promises the Holy Spirit, which is here now teaching us what the truth is now and guiding us and leading us. And then the other example, in juxtaposition of that is Peter.

And it's probably an example that most of us are more used to following. He's very zealous at the at the onset, but oftentimes Jesus kinda claps back at him a little bit. He's like, well, you're you're not gonna wash my feet, Jesus. And Jesus is like, well, this is how this is how I'd be. And he's like, okay.

Well, then wash all of me. And Jesus was just like, calm down, man. But he does that

That's to the the Blake Morley translation.

Yeah. You get some I like that. Translation from Ray. But then the example that we follow though is that we're very zealous in our hearts lots of times, but when the metal hits the meat, he denies him three times. So Jesus sets a good example for us.

Peter sets a realistic example for us. And the good news is that we're forgiven either way.

Amen. Thank you for that, Blake. Mary Beth, did you have a comment? We got a microphone for you, though. Man.

You know, man.

In John eighteen thirty six, when I talked about my kingdom of is not of this world Yeah. I think that we need to remember that. Like, right? Everything that we are working towards or trying to be is not of the worldly world that we live in and how do we become the godly world that we wanna

be in?

Yep. Yep. Amen. Yep. Yep.

Earlier in John it was set apart and I always think of it this way is set apart to his kingdom to have an impact on this one. Absolutely. Thank you for sharing. There others? Anybody else have a comment from John?

18. Raymond? Okay.

Three denials. It was interesting the phraseology of that the first girl that asked him, he's standing there by fire warming himself. He's been following Jesus for three years. And he's got all kinds of expectations, I'm sure. He's just heard him say you're gonna deny me.

He's just said not a not a chance. But then he tried to cut a guy's head off and got his ear Mhmm. Which we know Jesus fixed. And all of that's happened. And then Jesus pulled away somewhere where he's not with him right there.

And then the girl made it really easy for him. He said, you're not one of his disciples, are you? That's like, I can't go over to Billy Bob's house, can I? You're shaking your head like this. Mama, please say I cannot go.

I cannot go. Right? She makes it really easy for him to deny him. She says, you're not one of them, are you? Certainly not.

You sound like a Galilean, but you're not one of them, are you? And he goes, no, simple enough. The next one is still pretty easy. You weren't with those guys, you're not one of those guys? And they're they're leading the question and he says, no.

But then somebody confronts him with the truth like Blake says, you know. The the truth is, he says, the one of the guys who's related to the guy's ear he cut off, you know, he goes, are you sure you weren't out there? Because I think I saw you out there. Yeah. I think you're with

him. And

he said, and then with a curse, he doubles down. Yeah. Lying. I love the restoration of Peter. I can't wait till we get to that.

Yep. But I I love that. It shows us like oftentimes, it shows us how impetuous we are, how zealous we are. And it's interesting also that Jesus down below says, while he's being questioned by the Jews, he says, I I've told you that my kingdom is not of this world. He said the Jewish trial.

This is before he gets to say the same thing to Pilate again. But he says, I've told you it's not a kingdom of this world. If it were, my followers would be fighting.

Yeah.

Now, Peter just was. And so in that instance, he he was not following Jesus. Jesus just with a word can say, I'm he. And that's that's that'll knock you down. But he just it it's interesting to see.

And then when he restores him, it's feed my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my sheep. Just keep the main thing the main thing. You know, so good. So so good. I like that it's really easy to deny Christ in this world because you wanna just be comfortable and warm.

Sure.

And and they'll give you the chance to to be out of it pretty easy. No. Of course not. Yeah. I'm not that way.

Yeah. Anyway, that's my 2¢. Yeah.

Thanks for sharing.

And I I think it's pretty interesting too that none of his disciples go on to like lead wars or anything too. They they follow Jesus' example to lay their life down rather than than gear you know, gather an army. It wasn't just Jesus doing it. He wanted all of his disciples to do that. Of course, in Christian history, that kind of shifts.

I think people go the other way. But those early examples are

pretty Well, is our tendency. To make war, to fight.

Yeah. So he just said every time we make try to make the kingdom of this world the the kingdom of God look like well, say say again, say into the microphone. He's better at this than I.

Every single time we try to make his kingdom of this world, every single time we try to make it an earthly kingdom, it goes wrong. I mean, the the crusades were a horrible, horrible nightmare. And there are people who still defend them. Mhmm. But it was a horrible nightmare.

Was nothing like Jesus. Nothing like him at all. Yeah. You know? We are supposed to live out his kingdom his his kingdom on earth, but we're not supposed to make it an earthly kingdom.

No. We we can't first of all, the Holy Spirit is one that changes lives and transforms lives, and so we cannot do that job. You don't you don't convert people at the tip of a sword. You don't convert people at a debate where you debate them into believing. You you can't do that.

It's the work of the Holy Spirit. You can live a life that is like Christ, and people will see the Holy Spirit's work in you. And it says that they will begin to ask you for a defense of the hope that is within you because it's pretty hopeless without Christ.

It is amazing because kind of Constantinople die, kind of Rome die, kind of Harry VIII and all. The only one kingdom is still in life is the kingdom of heaven.

Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah. Amen. Yep.

Do. Kingdoms rise and fall and rise and fall and rise and fall. But the kingdom that will never end is the kingdom of God. Shall we sing together? Such an awesome God.

God, thank you for your loving kindness, your faithfulness, your determination truly. That's what I see in this passion. Your determination to do the will of father, to go to the cross, taking our punishment on on yourself. God, may your faithfulness lead to our faithfulness to you because otherwise, it's it's not there. It's not there.

We need your word. We need the Holy Spirit to be faithful back. Help us. Give us courage. Would you?

In Jesus' name. Amen. And this is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to Earth. Amen.

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Betrayal Of Jesus Faith In Action I Am Statements Kingdom Of God Peter'S Denial

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